<P>Principles for Principals
<P>A veteran administrator presents nine guiding principles for school leadership.
<P>By Robert Rammer
<P><H1>Principles for Principals</H1>
<P>By Robert Rammer
<P>When new principals accept their first principalships, most of them are elated at "making it." They realize that they are going to have an impact on more children than ever before and plan to do things better than other principals they have observed. They are also excited about applying all the knowledge they learned in their graduate programs and are ready, although a little scared, to assume this incredible responsibility. 
<P>But experienced principals often report that, although well intended, the formal training and degree programs designed for aspiring principals did not prepare them for what they faced when they walked into their first principal position. That's not to say that what is taught in masters or certification programs is not important. Knowing about school finance, law, instruction, and personnel procedures is important. However, there are some practical, pragmatic aspects to being a school principal that fall outside typical college syllabi.
<P>In more than 30 years in education, both as a principal and as an assistant superintendent, I've found some real-life guiding principles that have served successful principals well for years--the unwritten conditions, expectations, and fine print of the job. These "principles for principals" are the fine print that new principals should understand.
<P><B>Everything Is Your Responsibility</B>
<P>If something goes well, give others credit. If something goes wrong, it is your responsibility. Accept this--it may not seem to be fair, but it is true. 
<P>No one wants or likes to work with someone who takes credit for accomplishments at the expense of others or points fingers when things don't go well. <I>Everything</I> means just that: everything. If a parent calls about the cleanliness of her child's classroom, it's your responsibility. You can't blame the teacher or custodian. Even if you don't supervise the custodian, it's your responsibility because it occurred in your school. Find a way to fix it. 
<P>If your test scores improve, it's because the teachers and students worked hard, not because you're a great instructional leader--even if you are. Although you trust your teachers and staff members to do their jobs well, mistakes happen and as the building leader, you must step up and take responsibility for every aspect of your school. Shower praise, but take the blame.
<P><B>Lead by Example</B>
<P>People will gauge their trust by what you do, not by what you say you will do. We have all seen people who talk a good show but have little evidence to support their claims. For example, if you expect your staff members to be on time and put in a full day's work, they need to see you at school when they arrive and there when they leave. It makes for long days, but that's the job. In other words, walk your talk. If you expect staff members to be kind and supportive with students, they need to see you model that behavior when you talk with your secretary, a parent, or a custodian. Modeling behavior is more powerful than issuing directives or orders. People watch what you do more than they listen to what you say.
<P><B>Hiring Is Your Most Important Job</B>
<P>The most important job in education is to pick good people to work with students. That's not to take away from what goes on in the classroom or around your building, but if principals don't hire great teachers, there won't be great instruction. A teacher will affect the lives of hundreds and sometimes thousands of students and will cost a district more than $1 million in a career. Learn how your district selects staff members, take your time, and do not accept a mediocre candidate. Whether it is a teacher, secretary, or custodian, he or she will have an impact on students and on the climate of your school. Hiring a secretary or custodian is as important as hiring a teacher. Be thorough and selective.
<P><B>Elephants Don't Bite--It's the Mosquitoes That Will Get You</B>
<P>The details of your job can be the measure of your success or failure. Sometimes principals get caught up on the big picture of their job and forget the little details that keep the system running. Even if you delegate such tasks, remember the first principle: everything is your responsibility. Often, the little details, the unglamorous parts of the job, are what derails an operation or causes a staff member to lose support for the leader. Not getting classroom supplies ordered in time for the start of school would cause great stress on teachers. Forgetting to sign the transportation order for a field trip bus would result in some upset students, teachers, and parents. Knowing that the details of running a school are taken care of is comforting to staff members, makes their jobs easier, and allows them to concentrate on student learning. 
<P>A caution: many of these details are embedded in the paperwork and bureaucracy of a school that is usually managed in the office, behind a desk. Avoid being trapped there. You must be visible to students, staff members, and parents. Swatting the mosquitoes in your office is no excuse for not being out in the building. Do the paperwork when everyone is gone or when you get home. 
<P><B>Beware of E-mail</B>
<P>Although e-mail, text messages, and the like can be efficient, in many cases the potential harm can outweigh the benefits. I've come to the conclusion that the E in <I>e-mail</I> stands for <I>evil</I>. How many times have you or others misunderstood the intent of an e-mail because there was no opportunity to see the sender's expression or the raised eyebrow? More troublesome, people often say things in an e-mail or a text message that they wouldn't say in person. It is a sterile form of communication that prevents dialogue, discourse, and personal interactions. It may be easier to sit at your desk and send an e-mail to a teacher down the hall, but think of the impact you could have by getting up and visiting that classroom. You may see other teachers on the way who might have a question to ask or you may find a student who needs some help. You may also get some exercise, and we all need more of that. 
<P>However, electronic communications are not going away. When you use them, assume that what you write will be permanent (even if you delete it, it exists in cyberspace forever); will not be private (it most likely will be shared with someone else); will often be misunderstood; will very likely be used to judge your writing and communication skills; and may be published in a local or national newspaper without your permission. 
<P>As open record laws and the Freedom of Information Act become more explicit, it is clear that your electronic communications are subject to review by your employer and the public. Talking about a recent shopping experience, your school's March Madness pool, or the Friday happy hour location in an e-mail among staff members could come back to haunt you. 
<P><B>Remember That Perceptions Are Real</B>
<P>A wise man once said, "Perceptions are real for the perceiver--whether they're true or not." It is important for principals to understand how they are being perceived by students, parents, other administrators, staff members, and the community. This is not as easy as it seems, and others' perceptions are often hard to accept. Regardless of your best intentions, people will often misunderstand what you say or do. You must elicit feedback from the various constituents and take that information to heart. 
<P>This principle does not mean that you have to change, but it does mean that you have to understand how others are viewing you. Where there are differences in your intentions and their perceptions, examine whether you really are meeting their needs or simply miscommunicating. If it's miscommunication, how can your repackage your message to get your point across in a form people will understand?  
<P><B>You Are the Principal 24/7</B>
<P>When you become a principal, you agree to lose some of your personal privacy--it goes with the position. People will no longer look at you the same as they did before you accepted this job. Everything you do at work, at home, or in the community is done with your "principal hat" on--you cannot take it off. When you run to the grocery or hardware store on Saturday morning and bump into a parent or student, you're still the principal. When you take your spouse out for an evening and have a cocktail before dinner, you're still the principal. When you go to a neighborhood barbeque, you're still the principal. People will judge you through that lens. 
<P>Does that mean that you need to dress up to mow the lawn or that you can't have a glass of wine with dinner? Of course not. It does mean that you need to be aware of others' perceptions. Is that fair? Probably not. Nevertheless, that's the way it is. You are now a public figure, an ambassador for your school and the profession, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If you want people to understand that education is a profession, you must portray a professional image as the principal. Acting and dressing professionally sends a message to your staff, your student body, and the community that being an educator is important and that you respect the privilege you have been given to serve children and your society.
<P>When the front page of the newspaper contains a report about a principal being arrested for driving under the influence, the entire profession is judged and tarnished. Unfortunately, we are judged by the least of us. Live your life as a model for the profession and never allow yourself to be the subject of a negative story.
<P><B>Ask "What Is Best for the Students?" </B>
<P>Sometimes principals get caught up in the status and politics of the position. They look at finding solutions that satisfy parents or staff members or the central office--not necessarily a bad thing to consider. But successful educators enter the profession because of students, and it is vitally important to remember them all the time. That's why some principals keep little cards in their pockets or on their desks that say, "What's best for my students?" or "How will this decision affect my students?" The answers should drive every decision, every day. Although sometimes decisions that are best for students are inconvenient for adults, a student-based decision--the mark of a good leader--is easy to defend and support.
<P><B>Change Little at First</B>
<P>There is a tendency for principals to move into their new positions, especially their first administrative jobs, saying, "When I'm the principal, I'll do it differently." They are anxious to have an impact. New principals are filled with hours of graduate-course knowledge, experiences from watching their own principals do things well or not-so-well, and an ego that suggests that they could do it better. The problem is that each school is different and what may work at school A may not work at all at school B, or vice versa.  In addition, each school has a culture, climate, and milieu that must be learned and assessed. This will take time. Conventional wisdom suggests that it is wise to observe as much as possible during the first year before changing much of anything. The risk of changing something early is that it may be a long-standing tradition that you haven't learned about yet and you may unknowingly offend staff members. It is much safer to observe as much as possible in the first year to learn the rituals of your new school before rushing to alter the culture of the building. Stepping on toes early in a new position can cause irreparable damage. On the other hand, this principle does not mean that you should do nothing for a year. Change what must be changed--just be careful and thoughtful in the process.
<P>These principles can serve as your oars while you navigate the waters of your principalship. If considered and followed, they will keep you afloat and headed in the direction of success.
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<P><B>Robert Rammer</B> <I>(<a href="mailto: rrammer@cusd200.org ">rrammer@cusd200.org</a>) is currently a cabinet administrator for District 200 in Wheaton, IL. He has spent more than 30 years in education as a high school principal and assistant superintendent responsible for hiring and training principals.</I>

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